Adams’ complete lack of detail exposes holes and hypocrisies in Sinn Féin policies – Harris

Fine Gael Wicklow TD, Simon Harris, has today (Monday) said that Gerry Adams’ evasive interviews on radio this morning and his complete lack of detail expose the many weaknesses, holes and hypocrisies in Sinn Féin’s economic policies.

“Despite repeated questioning this morning, Gerry Adams was unable to state whether Sinn Féin’s proposal for higher income tax, on which the Party bases much of its economic policy, is actually something it would implement in Government.

“Sinn Féin claims it is ready to govern, and yet its Party leader cannot state which policies it would demand on implementing if it had the chance. Perhaps Gerry Adams is realising what the rest of us already know; Sinn Féin’s policies are based on fantasy economics and would be disastrous for the economy if they were ever actually implemented.

“Gerry Adams claims that Sinn Féin would abolish the property tax, but he could not explain how the Party would account for the €500 million hole that would leave in the public finances. Gerry Adams has proven himself to be completely incapable of outlining how Sinn Féin would make its fantasy figures add up if it was in Government.

“Sinn Féin’s economic policies do not stand up to scrutiny. A closer look at the Party’s policies reveals that:

• There is a black hole in Sinn Féin figures. The Party repeatedly opposes Government measures, such as the Haddington Road Agreement, but includes the savings generated in its pre-Budget submissions
• The Party’s proposed 48% rate of income tax would bring the top effective tax rate to 62% for self-employed people, which would penalise entrepreneurs and job creators
• Sinn Féin’s proposal to increase employers’ PRSI is literally a tax on jobs, which would cost us thousands of jobs every year
• Sinn Féin wants to abolish the marginal rate (41%) tax relief on pensions which would hit middle income earners and leave thousands of teachers, nurses and Gardaí facing an €800 pay cut
• While opposing everything for the sake of it here, Sinn Féin has implemented a range of cutbacks in the North, including closing schools, freezing public sector pay and a property tax of €950 a year

“Yet again, the holes and the hypocrisies in Sinn Féin’s economic policies have been exposed. The Party proposes fantasy figures in Opposition, but if these make-believe policies ever became a reality it would result in an economic nightmare.”